2 Chronicles

CHAPTER 1

And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom and YEHOWAH his Elohim was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel; to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges and to every governor in all Israel; the heads of the fathers’ households.
3 So Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for there was the tent of meeting of Elohim, which Moses the servant of YEHOWAH had made in the wilderness.
4 But the Ark of Elohim David brought up from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
5 And the brass altar, which Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tent of meeting of YEHOWAH, and Solomon and the assembly sought for it.
6 And Solomon went up there before the brass altar before YEHOWAH, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.
7 In that night Elohim appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.”
8 And Solomon said to Elohim, “You have shown great mercy unto David my father, and have made me king in his stead.
9 Now, O YEHOWAH Elohim, let Your promise unto David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge this Your people, that are so great?”
11 And Elohim said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for riches, wealth or honor, nor the life of your enemies, nor have you yet asked for long life, but you have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people, over whom I have made you king;
12 wisdom and knowledge are granted unto you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had before you; neither shall there be any after you have the like.”
13 Then Solomon went from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.
14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. He had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
15 And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees in the valleys for abundance.
16 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn. The king’s merchants received them all at a price.
17 And they brought up out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty; and so they bought for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria.

CHAPTER 2

And Solomon determined to build a house for the Name of YEHOWAH and a house for his kingdom.
2 And Solomon numbered seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men to hew stone in the mountains, and thirty six hundred to supervise them.
3 And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “As you did with David my father, and sent him cedars to build him a house to dwell in, so do with me.
4 Behold, I am building a house for the Name of YEHOWAH my Elohim, to dedicate unto Him; to burn before Him sweet incense, and for the continual showbread, and for burnt offerings, morning and evening, on Sabbaths and on new moons, and on the solemn feasts of YEHOWAH our Elohim. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.
5 And the house that I am to build will be great, for great is our Elohim above all elohim.
6 But who is able to build Him a house, seeing as the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a house, except to burn sacrifices before Him?
7 Send me now therefore, a man wise in the work of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of iron, and in purple, crimson and blue, and who knows engraving with the wise men that are with me in Yehudah and Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
8 Send me also cedar trees, cypress trees and algum trees from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled to cut timber in Lebanon. And behold, my servants will work with your servants,
9 to prepare my timber in abundance, for the house that I am about to build will be wonderful and great.
10 And behold, I will give to your servants, the hewers that cut the timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”
11 Then Huram, king of Tyre, answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, “Because YEHOWAH loves His people, He has made you king over them.”
12 And Huram said, “Blessed be YEHOWAH, Elohim of Israel, Who made heaven and earth; Who has given to David the king a wise son, endued with knowledge and understanding, who can build a house for YEHOWAH, and a house for his kingdom.
13 And now I am sending a wise man, endued with understanding: Huram-abi,
14 the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilled to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, iron, stone and wood, and in purple and blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also an engraver of all manner of engravings, who is able to fabricate whatever may be assigned to him, along with your wise men, and with the wise men of my lord David your father.
15 Now therefore, the wheat, and the barley, and the oil, and the wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send unto his servants.
16 And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you shall need, and we will bring it to you in floats by sea to Joppa, and you shall carry it up to Jerusalem.”
17 And Solomon numbered all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, after the numbering that David his father had numbered, and they found one hundred fifty three thousand six hundred.
18 And he set seventy thousand of them as bearers of burdens, and eighty thousand as hewers in the mountains, and thirty six hundred overseers to set the people to work.

CHAPTER 3

Then Solomon began to build the house of YEHOWAH in Jerusalem on Mount Moriyeh, where YEHOWAH had appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 Now this was Solomon’s foundation for the building of the house of Elohim: The length in cubits, after the first measuring was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits.
4 And the porch that was in front of the house, the length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5 And the great room he overlaid with cypress wood, and overlaid it with fine gold, and set on it palm trees and chains.
6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim.
7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts and the walls of it, and its doors, with gold, and he engraved cherubim on the walls.
8 And he made the most holy room, the length of it according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits, and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
10 And in the most holy room he made two cherubim of carving, and overlaid them with gold.
11 And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long; one wing five cubits, reaching the wall of the house, and the other wing five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
12 And the wing of the other cherub, five cubits, reached to the wall of the house, and the other wing, five cubits, joined to the wing of the first cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubim spread twenty cubits, and they stood on their feet with their faces inward.
14 And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and set cherubim in it.
15 Also he made before the house two pillars, thirty-five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each was five cubits.
16 He made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the capitals of the pillars, and he made one hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains.
17 And he set the pillars in front of the temple; one on the right hand and the other on the left, and called the name of that on the right Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

CHAPTER 4

Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length of it, and twenty cubits the width of it, and ten cubits the height of it.
2 Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape; five cubits the height of it, and a line of thirty cubits did encircle it round about.
3 And under it were likenesses of oxen, which did encircle it round about; ten cubits encircling the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast in one piece.
4 It stood upon twelve oxen; three looking toward the the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south and three looking toward the east, and the sea was set above and upon them, and all their hind parts were inward.
5 And the thickness of it was a hand-breadth, and the brim of it was like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies, and it held three thousand baths.
6 He also made ten washbowls, and he set five on the right hand and five on the left, to wash in them the things offered for the burnt offering, but the sea was for the priests to wash in.
7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold, according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left.
8 He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left. And he made one hundred bowls of gold.
9 Furthermore, he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors with brass.
10 And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, toward the south.
11 And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the bowls. And Huram finished the work he was to do for King Solomon for the house of Elohim:
12 The two pillars, and the globes, and the two capitals that were on top of the pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two globes of the capitals, which were on top of the pillars,
13 and the four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the globes of the capitals, which were upon the pillars.
14 He made also the bases and the washbowls upon the bases,
15 and one, and twelve oxen under it.
16 The pots also, and the flesh hooks, and all their implements, did Huram-abi make of polished brass for King Solomon, for the house of YEHOWAH.
17 In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them; in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.
18 Thus Solomon made all these instruments in great abundance, for the weight of the brass could not be found out.
19 And Solomon made all the instruments for the house of Elohim: The golden altar, also the tables whereon the showbread was set.
20 And the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn in the proper manner before the oracle, of pure gold,
21 and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold; of perfect gold,
22 and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold, and the entry of the house; the inner doors for the most holy, and the doors of the house of the temple, gold.

CHAPTER 5

Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of YEHOWAH was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated: The silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, and he put them among the treasures of the house of Elohim.
2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes; the rulers of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of YEHOWAH out of the city of David, which is Zion.
3 Therefore, all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king at the feast, which is in the seventh month.
4 And all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the Ark.
5 And they brought up the Ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy instruments, which were in the tent; these did the priests and the Levites bring up.
6 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the Ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be numbered for multitude.
7 And the priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of YEHOWAH to its place; to the innermost part of the sanctuary of the house; to the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim.
8 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the Ark, and the cherubim covered the Ark and its poles from above.
9 And the length of the poles made it so that the ends of the poles of the Ark were seen to the front of the innermost sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside; and there it is to this day.
10 There was nothing in the Ark except the two tablets, which Moses put therein at Horeb, where YEHOWAH made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.
11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the holy place, (for all the priests present were sanctified, and did not regard their divisions,
12 and all the Levites; the singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, arrayed in white linen, having cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding trumpets).
13 And it came to pass when the trumpeters and the singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praise and thanksgiving unto YEHOWAH, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised YEHOWAH saying, “For He is good; for His mercy endures forever,” that then the house was filled with a cloud; even the house of YEHOWAH,
14 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of YEHOWAH had filled the house of Elohim.

CHAPTER 6

Then Solomon said, “YEHOWAH has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.
2 But I have built a house of habitation for You, and a place for Your dwelling forever.”
3 And the king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation of Israel, and all the congregation of Israel was standing.
4 And he said, “Blessed be YEHOWAH, Elohim of Israel, Who has with His hands fulfilled that which He spoke with His mouth to David my father, saying,
5 ‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that My Name might be there. Neither did I chose any man to be leader over My people Israel.
6 But I have chosen Jerusalem, that My Name might be there, and have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
7 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the Name of YEHOWAH, Elohim of Israel.
8 But YEHOWAH said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well in that it was in your heart.
9 Nonetheless you shall not build the house, but your son, who shall come forth out of your loins, he shall build the house for My Name.’
10 YEHOWAH therefore, has performed His word that He has spoken, for I have risen up in the stead of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as YEHOWAH promised, and have built the house for the Name of YEHOWAH, Elohim of Israel.
11 And in it I have set the Ark, wherein is the Covenant of YEHOWAH, that He made with the children of Israel.”
12 And he stood before the altar of YEHOWAH in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands.
13 For Solomon had made a brass pulpit, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court, and upon it he stood, and knelt down upon his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven.
14 And he said, “O YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel, there is no Elohim like You in heaven nor on earth, which keeps covenant and shows mercy to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart;
15 Who has kept with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him. Indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
16 Now therefore, O YEHOWAH, the Elohim of Israel, keep with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in My sight to sit upon the throne of Israel, yet so that your children take heed to their way to walk in My law, as you have walked before Me.’
17 Now then, O YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel, let Your word be verified, which You have spoken to Your servant David.
18 But will Elohim indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built.
19 Have respect therefore, to the prayer of Your servant, and to his supplication, O YEHOWAH my Elohim, to listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant prays before You,
20 that Your eye may be open upon this house day and night; upon the place whereof You said that You would put Your Name there, to hearken unto the prayer which Your servant prays toward this place.
21 Listen therefore, unto the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; and when You hear, forgive.
22 If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid upon him, to make him swear, and the oath comes before Your altar in this house,
23 then hear from heaven and do and judge Your servants, by punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.
24 And if Your people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against You, and shall return and confess Your Name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house,
25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.
26 When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your Name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them,
27 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel, when You have taught them the good way, in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.
28 If there is famine in the land; if there is pestilence; if there is blight or mildew; if there is locust or grasshopper; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is,
29 whatever prayer or supplication is made by any person, or by all Your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house,
30 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the children of men,)
31 that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.
32 Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of Your people Israel, but have come from a far country for Your great Name’s sake, and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house,
33 then hear from heaven; from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your Name, and fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your Name.
34 When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your Name,
35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
36 When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near,
37 if they take thought in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have committed iniquity and have acted wickedly’;
38 if they return to You with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your Name,
39 then hear from heaven; from Your dwelling place, their prayer and supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.
40 Now, O my Elohim, I pray, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.
41 Now therefore arise, O YEHOWAH Elohim, to Your resting place; You and the Ark of Your might. Let Your priests, O YEHOWAH Elohim, be clothed with salvation, and let Your pious ones rejoice in goodness.
42 O YEHOWAH Elohim, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; remember Your loving-kindness to Your servant David.”

CHAPTER 7

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of YEHOWAH filled the house.
2 The priests could not enter into the house of YEHOWAH, because the glory of YEHOWAH filled YEHOWAH’S house.
3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and that the glory of YEHOWAH was upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshiped, and praised YEHOWAH, saying, “For He is good; for His mercy endures forever.”
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before YEHOWAH.
5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty two thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of Elohim.
6 And the priests labored according to their offices; the Levites also with instruments of music unto YEHOWAH, which David the king had made to praise YEHOWAH, “because His mercy endures forever”, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of YEHOWAH, for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brass altar, which Solomon had made, was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the meatless offering and the fat.
8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him; a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.
9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly, for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days.
10 And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that YEHOWAH had shown to David and to Solomon and to His people Israel.
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of YEHOWAH and the king’s house, and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make the house of YEHOWAH, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
12 And YEHOWAH appeared to Solomon by night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut up heaven so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,
14 if My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now My eyes shall be open, and My ears attentive to the the prayer offered in this place,
16 for now I have chosen and consecrated this house, that My Name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
17 As for you, if you walk before Me as David your father walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances,
18 then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’
19 But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments, which I have set before you, and go and serve other elohim and worship them,
20 then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have sanctified for My Name I will cast out of My sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all the nations.
21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to everyone who passes by it, so that they will say, ‘Why has YEHOWAH done this to this land and to this house?’
22 And they will say, ‘Because they forsook YEHOWAH, Elohim of their fathers Who brought them forth from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other elohim and worshiped them and served them. Therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.'”

CHAPTER 8

And it came to pass about the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of YEHOWAH and his own house,
2 that the cities that Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built, and caused the children of Israel to dwell therein.
3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and prevailed against it.
4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities which he built in Hamath.
5 He also built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon, the lower; fortified cities with walls, gates and bars,
6 and Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land under his dominion.
7 All the people who remained of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,
8 but of their children, who remained in the land, whom the children of Israel had not destroyed, them Solomon made to pay tribute to this day.
9 But of the children of Israel, Solomon did not make servants for his work, but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and his horsemen.
10 And these were the chief of King Solomon’s officers; two hundred and fifty that bore rule over the people.
11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because holy are the places where the Ark of YEHOWAH has come.”
12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto YEHOWAH on the altar of YEHOWAH, which he had built before the porch;
13 even unto the required daily provision, according to the commandment of Moses, on the Sabbaths, the new moons and the solemn feasts, three times in the year: The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles.
14 And he appointed, according to the judgment of David his father, the courses of the priests for their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the porters also by their courses at every gate, for so had David the man of Elohim commanded.
15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasuries.
16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared from the day of the foundation of the house of YEHOWAH, until it was finished. And thus the house of YEHOWAH was perfected.
17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth at the sea side in the land of Edom.
18 And Huram sent him, by the hands of his servants’ ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea, and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and they took from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought it to King Solomon.

CHAPTER 9

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem; with a very great company, and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance, and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she declared to him all that was on her heart.
2 And Solomon explained every matter to her; nothing was hidden from Solomon that he did not explain to her.
3 When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
4 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel; his cupbearers also and their apparel, and the ascent by which he went up into the house of YEHOWAH, there was no more breath within her.
5 And she said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom.
6 However I did not believe their reports until I came and my eyes had seen, and behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me, for you exceed the fame that I heard.
7 Happy are your men, and happy are your servants who stand continually before you, and hear your wisdom.
8 Blessed be YEHOWAH your Elohim, Who delighted in you, to set you on His throne; to be king for YEHOWAH your Elohim, because your Elohim loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do judgment and justice.”
9 And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great abundance of spices and precious stones; neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones.
11 And the king made, from the algum trees, a viaduct to the house of YEHOWAH and to the king’s palace, and harps and lyres for the singers; and there were none such seen before in the land of Yehudah.
12 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own land; she and her servants.
13 Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty six talents of gold,
14 besides that which the merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 And King Solomon made two hundred shields of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels of beaten gold went into each shield,
16 and three hundred shields of beaten gold, with three hundred shekels of gold in each shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
17 Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
18 There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the seat, and two lions standing by the stays.
19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other side of the six steps, and there was nothing like it made for any other kingdom.
20 And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver; it was not accounted for in the days of Solomon.
21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.
22 And King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom,
23 and all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that Elohim had put in his heart.
24 And they brought every one their present; vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and clothing, and armor, and spices, horses and mules; a rate, year by year.
25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he caused to dwell in the chariot cities, and with the king in Jerusalem.
26 And he reigned over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as abundant as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
28 And they brought unto Solomon horses from Egypt, and out of all the lands.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahiyeh the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

CHAPTER 10

And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.
2 And it came to pass when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, heard, Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4 “Your father made our yoke grievous; now therefore ease somewhat the grievous servitude of your father and his heavy yoke, which he put upon us, and we will serve you.”
5 And he said to them, “Come again to me in three days.” And the people departed.
6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders that had stood before Solomon his father, while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to answer this people?”
7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be kind to this people and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
8 But he forsook the counsel, which the elders gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, and who stood before him.
9 And he said unto them, “What advice do you give that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, ‘Ease somewhat the yoke that your father did put upon us’?”
10 And the young men that were brought up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus shall you answer the people that spoke to you saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.’ Thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins!
11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, “Come again to me on the third day.”
13 And the king answered them roughly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders.
14 And he answered them after to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I with scorpions.”
15 So the king listened not to the people, for the cause was of Elohim that YEHOWAH might perform His word, which He spoke by the hand of Ahiyeh the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David, and what inheritance do we have in the son of Jesse? Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!” So all Israel went to their tents.
17 But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Yehudah; Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the tribute, and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But King Rehoboam made speed to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem,
19 and Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

CHAPTER 11

And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he gathered the house of Yehudah and Benyehmin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.
2 But the word of YEHOWAH came to Shemaiyeh the man of Elohim, saying,
3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Yehudah, and to all Israel in Yehudah and Benyehmin, saying,
4 ‘Thus says YEHOWAH, “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren. Return every man to his house, for this thing is done of Me.”‘” And they obeyed the words of YEHOWAH and returned from going against Jeroboam.
5 And Rehoboam dwelled in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Yehudah.
6 He built even Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 Beth-zur, Shoco, Adullam,
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are in Yehudah, and in Benyehmin, fenced cities.
11 And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them and stores of food, and of oil and wine.
12 And in every city he put shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong, having Yehudah and Benyehmin on his side.
13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel stood fast with him from all their coasts,
14 for the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions, and came to Yehudah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto YEHOWAH,
15 and he ordained priests of his own for the high places, and for the devils and for the calves that he had made.
16 But after them, those out of all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts to seek YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to YEHOWAH Elohim of their fathers.
17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Yehudah and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years. For three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.
18 And Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David as wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse,
19 who bore him children: Jeush, Shemariyeh and Zaham.
20 And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abiyeh, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.
21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines, for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begat twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
22 And Rehoboam made Abiyeh the son of Maacah as chief; ruler among his brethren, for he thought to make him king.
23 And he dealt wisely, and dispersed all his children throughout all the countries of Yehudah and Benyehmin; unto every fenced city. And he gave them food in abundance. And he desired many wives.

CHAPTER 12

And it came to pass when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of YEHOWAH, and all Israel with him.
2 And it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against YEHOWAH,
3 with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: The Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Cushites.
4 And he took the fenced cities of Yehudah and came to Jerusalem.
5 Then came Shemaiyeh the prophet to Rehoboam and the princes of Yehudah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “Thus says YEHOWAH, ‘You have forsaken Me, therefore, I have also forsaken you to the hand of Shishak.'”
6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “YEHOWAH is righteous.”
7 And when YEHOWAH saw that they humbled themselves, the word of YEHOWAH came to Shemaiyeh, saying, “They have humbled themselves, therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8 Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may know the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”
9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of YEHOWAH, and the treasures of the king’s house. He took all. He even carried away the shields of gold, which Solomon had made.
10 And King Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captain of the guard, who kept the entrance of the king’s house.
11 And when the king entered into the house of YEHOWAH, the guards came and fetched them and brought them again into the guards’ chamber.
12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of YEHOWAH turned from him, so He would not destroy him altogether; and also in Yehudah things went well.
13 So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which YEHOWAH had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His Name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.
14 And he did evil, because he set not his heart to seek YEHOWAH.
15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiyeh the prophet, and of Iddo the seer, concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David; and his son Abiyeh became king in his stead.

CHAPTER 13

Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abiyeh began to reign in Yehudah.
2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Michaiyeh the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abiyeh and Jeroboam.
3 And Abiyeh set the battle in array with a host of valiant men of war; four hundred thousand chosen men. And Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men; mighty men of valor.
4 And Abiyeh stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the mountain range of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel,
5 ought you not to know that YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, has risen up and rebelled against his lord.
7 And there are gathered unto him worthless men; the children of Belial, who have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
8 And now you think to withstand the kingdom of YEHOWAH in the hands of the sons of David, being a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves, which Jeroboam made for you as elohim.
9 Have you not cast out the priests of YEHOWAH; the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made priests after the manner of the peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, may become a priest of what are no elohim?
10 But as for us, YEHOWAH is our Elohim, and we have not forsaken Him, and the priests which minister unto YEHOWAH, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, who conduct their ministry.
11 And they sacrifice unto YEHOWAH every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense, and the showbread also they set upon the pure table, and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening. For we keep the charge of YEHOWAH our Elohim, but you have forsaken Him.
12 And behold, Elohim is with us for our Head, and His priests with the sounding trumpets to cry the alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight not against YEHOWAH Elohim of your fathers, for you will not prosper.”
13 But Jeroboam brought about an ambush to come from behind them, so they were before Yehudah and the ambush was behind them.
14 And when Yehudah turned around, behold, the battle was before them and behind, and they cried to YEHOWAH, and the priests sounded the trumpets.
15 Then the men of Yehudah gave a shout, and as the men of Yehudah shouted, it came to pass that Elohim struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abiyeh and Yehudah.
16 And the children of Israel fled before Yehudah, and Elohim delivered them into their hand.
17 And Abiyeh and his people slew them with a great slaughter, so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
18 Thus the children of Israel were brought down at that time, and the children of Yehudah prevailed, because they relied upon YEHOWAH, the Elohim of their fathers.
19 And Abiyeh pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its towns, Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns.
20 And Jeroboam never recovered strength in the days of Abiyeh, and YEHOWAH struck him and he died.
21 But Abiyeh grew strong, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
22 And the rest of the acts of Abiyeh, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.

CHAPTER 14

So Abiyeh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son reigned in his stead. And in his days the land was quiet ten years.
2 And Asa did good and right in the eyes of YEHOWAH his Elohim,
3 for he took away the altars of the strange elohim, and the high places, and broke down the images, and cut down the Asherah,
4 and commanded Yehudah to seek YEHOWAH Elohim of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.
5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Yehudah the high places and the images, and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6 And he built fenced cities in Yehudah, for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years, because YEHOWAH had given him rest.
7 Therefore he said unto Yehudah, “Let us build these cities and make about them walls, and towers; gates and bars. The land is yet before us, because we have sought YEHOWAH our Elohim. We have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
8 And Asa had an army bearing shields and spears from Yehudah of three hundred thousand, and out of Benyehmin that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand; all these were might men of valor.
9 And there came out against them Zerah the Cushite with a host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots, and he came unto Mareshah.
10 And Asa went out to against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 And Asa cried unto YEHOWAH his Elohim and said, “YEHOWAH, it is nothing with You to help, whether with many, or with those that have no power. Help us, O YEHOWAH our Elohim, for we rest on You, and in Your Name we go against this multitude. O YEHOWAH, You are our Elohim, let not man prevail against You.”
12 So YEHOWAH struck the Cushites before Asa, and before Yehudah, and the Cushites fled.
13 And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them unto Gerar, and the Cushites were overthrown, so that they could not recover, for they were destroyed before YEHOWAH and before His host. And they carried away very much spoil.
14 And they struck all the cities round about Gerar, for the fear of YEHOWAH came upon them, and they spoiled all the cities, for there was exceeding much spoil in them.
15 They struck also the tents of the cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and they returned to Jerusalem.

CHAPTER 15

And The Spirit of Elohim came upon Azariyeh the son of Oded,
2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Yehudah and Benyehmin, YEHOWAH is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
3 Now for a long season Israel has been without the true Elohim, and without a teaching priest and without law.
4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.
5 And in those times there was no peace to those who went out or to those who came in, but great were the troubles upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
6 And nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for Elohim did trouble them with all adversity.
7 Be strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”
8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of the son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Yehudah and Benyehmin; and from the cities that he had taken in mount Ephraim, and repaired the altar of YEHOWAH that was before the porch of YEHOWAH.
9 And he gathered all Yehudah and Benyehmin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon, for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that YEHOWAH his Elohim was with him.
10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa,
11 and they offered unto YEHOWAH that day of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12 And they entered into a covenant to seek YEHOWAH Elohim of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul,
13 and whoever would not seek YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.
14 And they swore unto YEHOWAH with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets and with cornets.
15 All Yehudah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart, and had sought Him with their whole desire, and He was found by them. And YEHOWAH gave them rest round about.
16 And also Maacah, the mother of King Asa; He removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove, and Asa cut down her idol, and beat it into pieces, and burned it at the brook Kidron.
17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
18 And he brought into the house of Elohim the things that his father had dedicated, and that he had dedicated: Silver and gold and utensils.
19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

CHAPTER 16

In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Yehudah and built Ramah, with the intent that he would stop everyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Yehudah.
2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of YEHOWAH and the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who dwelled in Damascus, saying,
3 “There is a confederacy between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your confederacy with Baasha king of Israel that he will depart from me.”
4 And Ben-hadad heard King Asa and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they struck Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all the store cities of Naphtali.
5 And it came to pass when Baasha heard of it, he forsook building Ramah and let his work cease.
6 Then Asa the king took all Yehudah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof, with which Baasha was building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.
7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Yehudah and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Syria and not relied on YEHOWAH your Elohim, therefore the host of the king of Syria escaped out of your hand.
8 Were not the Cushites and the Lubim a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you did rely on YEHOWAH, He delivered them into your hand.
9 For the eyes of YEHOWAH run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein you have done foolishly; therefore, from here on you will have wars.”
10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in a prison house, for he was in a rage with him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.
11 And behold, the acts of Asa, first to last, lo, they are written in the book of the Kings of Yehudah and Israel.
12 And Asa, in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceedingly great, yet in his disease he sought not YEHOWAH, but the physicians.
13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the forty-first year of his reign.
14 And they buried him in his own burying place, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in a bed that was filled with sweet odors and different kinds of spices prepared by the apothecary; and they made a very great fire for him.

CHAPTER 17

And Yehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.
2 And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Yehudah, and set garrisons in the land of Yehudah and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.
3 And YEHOWAH was with Yehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of David his father, and sought not unto Baalim,
4 but sought the Elohim of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.
5 Therefore YEHOWAH established the kingdom in his hand, and all Yehudah brought to Yehoshaphat presents, and he had riches and honor in abundance.
6 And his heart was lifted up in the ways of YEHOWAH. Moreover he took away the high places and the groves out of Yehudah.
7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, Ben-hail, Obadiyeh, Zechariyeh, Nethanel and Michaiyeh, to teach in the cities of Yehudah;
8 and with them the Levites, Shemaiyeh, Nethaniyeh, Zebadiyeh, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Yehonathan, Adoniyeh, Tobiyeh and Tobadoniyeh, Levites; and with them Elishama and Yehoram, the priests.
9 And they taught in Yehudah, with the book of the law of YEHOWAH with them,and they went about throughout all the cities of Yehudah and taught the people.
10 And the fear of YEHOWAH fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Yehudah, so that they made no war against Yehoshaphat.
11 Also some of the Philistines brought Yehoshaphat presents and tribute silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats.
12 And Yehoshaphat grew exceedingly great, and he built in Yehudah castles and store cities.
13 And he had much business in the cities of Yehudah; and the men of war, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem.
14 And these are the numbers of them, according to the house of their fathers: Of Yehudah, the captains of thousands, Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valor, three hundred thousand;
15 and next to him Yehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred eighty thousand;
16 and next to him Amasiyeh the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto YEHOWAH, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.
17 And of Benyehmin, Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him armed men of bow and shield, two hundred thousand;
18 and next to him Yehozabad, and with him eighty thousand equipped for war.
19 These waited upon the king, beside whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Yehudah.

CHAPTER 18

Now Yehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he joined in affinity with Ahab.
2 And after certain years he went down to Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.
3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Yehoshaphat king of Yehudah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the war.”
4 And Yehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire, I pray you, at the word of YEHOWAH”.
5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets, four hundred men, and said unto them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And they said, “Go up, for Elohim will give it into the king’s hand.”
6 But Yehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet here a prophet of YEHOWAH that we may inquire of him?”
7 And the king of Israel said to Yehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of YEHOWAH, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good unto me, but always evil. The one is Michaiyeh, son of Imla.” And Yehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”
8 And the king of Israel called for one of his officers and said, “Fetch quickly Michaiyeh, son of Imla.”
9 And the king of Israel and Yehoshaphat king of Yehudah sat, either of them, on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in an open area at the entering of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets prophesied before them.
10 And Zedekiyeh the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, “Thus says YEHOWAH, ‘With these you shall push Syria until they are consumed.'”
11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for YEHOWAH will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
12 And the messenger that went to call Michaiyeh spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king, with one assent. Let your word therefore, please, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.”
13 And Michaiyeh said, “As YEHOWAH lives, even what my Elohim says, that I will speak.”
14 And when he came to the king, the king said to him, “Michaiyeh, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And he said, “Go up and prosper, for they will be delivered into your hand.”
15 And the king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you say nothing but the truth to me in the Name of YEHOWAH?”
16 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd, and YEHOWAH said, ‘These have no lord; let them return therefore, every man to his house in peace.'”
17 And the king of Israel said to Yehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?”
18 Again he said, “Therefore, hear the word of YEHOWAH, ‘I saw YEHOWAH sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.’
19 And YEHOWAH said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
20 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before YEHOWAH and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And YEHOWAH said to him, ‘How?’
21 And he said, ‘I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And He said, ‘You shall entice him, and you shall also prevail. Go out and do so.’
22 Now therefore, behold, YEHOWAH has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and YEHOWAH has spoken evil against you.”
23 Then Zedekiyeh the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Michaiyeh upon the cheek and said, “Which way did The Spirit of YEHOWAH pass from me to speak to you?”
24 And Michaiyeh said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.”
25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Michaiyeh and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Yehash the king’s son,
26 and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this in prison and feed him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”‘”
27 And Michaiyeh said, “If you certainly return in peace, then has not YEHOWAH spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you people.”
28 So the king of Israel and Yehoshaphat king of Yehudah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
29 And the king of Israel said unto Yehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and will go to the battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to the battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, “Fight not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel.”
31 And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Yehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.” Therefore they encompassed about him to fight, but Yehoshaphat cried out, and YEHOWAH helped him, and Elohim moved them from him.
32 For it came to pass, that when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
33 And a certain man drew his bow at venture, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the harness. Therefore he said to his chariot man, “Turn your hand, that you may carry me out of the host, for I am wounded.”
34 And the battle increased that day, but the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and at the going down of the sun he died.

CHAPTER 19

And Yehoshaphat the king of Yehudah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem,
2 and Yehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Yehoshaphat, “Should you help the impious, and love those who hate YEHOWAH and therefore bring the wrath of YEHOWAH upon yourself?
3 Nevertheless there are good things found in you, for you have taken away the groves out of the land, and have set your heart to seek Elohim.”
4 And Yehoshaphat dwelt in Jerusalem, and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back to YEHOWAH, the Elohim of their fathers.
5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Yehudah; city by city.
6 And he said to the judges, “Take heed what you do, for you judge not for man, but for YEHOWAH Who is with you in the judgment.
7 Therefore now, let the fear of YEHOWAH be upon you. Take heed and do, for there is no iniquity with YEHOWAH our Elohim, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”
8 Moreover in Jerusalem did Yehoshaphat set some of the Levites and priests, and some of the chiefs of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of YEHOWAH and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.
9 And he charged them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of YEHOWAH, faithfully and with a perfect heart.
10 And whatsoever cause shall come to you of your brethren who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments; you shall even warn them so that they may not trespass against YEHOWAH, and wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren. This do and you will not trespass.
11 And behold, Amariyeh the chief priest is over you in all matters of YEHOWAH, and Zebadiyeh the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Yehudah, for all the king’s matters. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and YEHOWAH will be with the good.”

CHAPTER 20

It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and with them beside the Ammonites, came against Yehoshaphat to battle.
2 Then there came some that told Yehoshaphat, saying, “There comes a great multitude against you from beyond the sea, on this side of Syria and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi.”
3 And Yehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek YEHOWAH, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Yehudah.
4 And Yehudah gathered themselves together, to ask help of YEHOWAH; even out of all the cities of Yehudah they came to seek YEHOWAH.
5 And Yehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Yehudah and Jerusalem, in the house of YEHOWAH before the new court,
6 and said, “O YEHOWAH, Elohim of our fathers, are You not Elohim in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? And in Your hand is there not power and might, so that none are able to withstand You?
7 And are You not our Elohim, Who did drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and did give it to the seed of Abraham Your friend forever?
8 And they dwelt therein, and have built You a sanctuary therein for Your Name, saying,
9 ‘If evil come upon us; the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and in Your presence, (for Your Name is in this house) and cry unto You in our affliction, then You will hear and help.’
10 And now behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them and destroyed them not,
11 behold, they reward us, to come to cast us out of Your possession, which You have given us to inherit.
12 O our Elohim, will You not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”
13 And all Yehudah stood before YEHOWAH, with their little ones, their wives and their children.
14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariyeh, the son of Benaiyeh, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniyeh, a Levite of the sons of Asaph; came The Spirit of YEHOWAH in the midst of the congregation;
15 and he said, “Hear you, all Yehudah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Yehoshaphat, thus says YEHOWAH unto you, ‘Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but Elohim’s.
16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 You shall not fight in this battle. Set yourselves; stand and see the salvation of YEHOWAH with you, O Yehudah and Jerusalem. Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow, go out against them, for YEHOWAH is with you.”
18 And Yehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Yehudah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before YEHOWAH; worshiping YEHOWAH.
19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel, with a loud voice on high.
20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa, and as they went forth, Yehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Yehudah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, believe in YEHOWAH your Elohim; so shall you be established, believe His prophets; so shall you prosper.”
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto YEHOWAH, and that they should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, “Praise YEHOWAH, for His mercy endures forever.”
22 And when they began to sing and to praise, YEHOWAH set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, which had come against Yehudah, and they were smitten.
23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy one another.
24 And when Yehudah came to the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
25 And when Yehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found much among them in abundance; both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves; more than they could carry away. And they were three days in gathering in the spoil, it was so much.
26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Berachah, for there they blessed YEHOWAH. Therefore the name of the same place was called, “The Valley of Berachah” unto this day.
27 Then they returned every man of Yehudah and Jerusalem, and Yehoshaphat in the head, to go again to Jerusalem with joy, for YEHOWAH had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets unto the house of YEHOWAH.
29 And the fear of Elohim was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that YEHOWAH had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 So the realm of Yehoshaphat was quiet, for his Elohim gave him rest round about.
31 And Yehoshaphat reigned over Yehudah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it; doing right in the sight of YEHOWAH.
33 However the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the Elohim of their fathers.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Yehoshaphat, first to last, behold, they are written in the book of Yehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 And after this did Yehoshaphat king of Yehudah join himself with Ahaziyeh king of Israel, who did very wickedly.
36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber.
37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodayehu of Mareshah prophesied against Yehoshaphat saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziyeh, YEHOWAH has broken your works.” And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

CHAPTER 21

And Yehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Yehoram his son reigned in his stead.
2 And he had brothers; the sons of Yehoshaphat: Azariyeh, Jehiel, Zechariyeh, Azariyehu, Michael and Shephatiyeh. All these were the sons of Yehoshaphat king of Israel.
3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fenced cities in Yehudah, but the kingdom he gave to Yehoram, because he was the firstborn.
4 Now when Yehoram established himself over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and killed all his brothers with the sword; and also the princes of Israel.
5 Yehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab his wife, and he did evil in the eyes of YEHOWAH.
7 Yet YEHOWAH would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and as He had promised to give a light to him and to his sons forever.
8 In his days Edom revolted from under the dominion of Yehudah and made themselves a king.
9 Then Yehoram went forth with his princes and all his chariots with him. And he rose up by night and smote the Edomites, who had encompassed him, and the captains of the chariots.
10 So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Yehudah to this day. The same time also Libnah revolted from under his hand, because he had forsaken YEHOWAH Elohim of his fathers.
11 Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Yehudah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and misled Yehudah.
12 And there came a writing to him from Eliyeh the prophet saying, “Thus says YEHOWAH Elohim of David your father, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Yehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Yehudah,
13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Yehudah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers of your fathers house, who were better than yourself,
14 behold, with a great plague will YEHOWAH smite your people, and your children, and your wives, and all your goods,
15 and you will have great sickness by disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.'”
16 Moreover YEHOWAH stirred up against Yehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians, that were near the Cushites.
17 And they came up to Yehudah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his children also, and his wives, so there was no son left to him except Ahaziyeh, the youngest of his sons.
18 And after all this YEHOWAH smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
19 And it came to pass that in the process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness. So he died of an evil disease, and his people made no fire for him like the fire of his fathers.
20 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and he departed without being desired. However, they buried him in the city of David, but not in the burying place of the kings.

CHAPTER 22

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziyeh, his youngest son, king in his stead, for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziyeh the son of Yehoram king of Yehudah reigned.
2 Ahaziyeh was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliyeh, the daughter of Omri.
3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.
4 Therefore he did evil in the sight of YEHOWAH like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
5 He walked also after their counsel, and went with Yehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. But the Syrians smote Yehoram.
6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel, because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariyeh the son of Yehoram king of Yehudah went down to see Yehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
7 And the destruction of Ahaziyeh was of Elohim, by coming to Yehoram. For when he came, he went out with Yehoram against Yehu the son of Nimshi, whom YEHOWAH had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
8 And it came to pass that when Yehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Yehudah, and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziyeh that ministered to Ahaziyeh, and he slew them.
9 And he sought Ahaziyeh, and they caught him, for he was hid in Samaria, and they brought him to Yehu, and when they had slain him, they buried him, because, said they, “He is the son of Yehoshaphat, who sought YEHOWAH with all his heart.” So the house of Ahaziyeh had none to keep the power of the kingdom.
10 But when Athaliyeh the mother of Ahaziyeh saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Yehudah.
11 But Yehoshabeath the king’s daughter took Yehash the son of Ahaziyeh, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Yehoshabeath, the daughter of King Yehoram, the wife of Yehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziyeh), hid him from Athaliyeh so that she would not put him to death.
12 And he was with them, hidden in the house of Elohim, six years, and Athaliyeh reigned over the land.

CHAPTER 23

And in the seventh year Yehoiada strengthened himself, and took captains of hundreds, Azariyeh the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Yehohanan, Azariyeh the son of Obed, Maaseiyeh the son of Adaiyeh, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
2 And they went about in Yehudah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Yehudah, and the chiefs of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of Elohim, and he said unto them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as YEHOWAH has said of the sons of David.
4 This is the thing that you shall do: A third part of you, entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors,
5 and a third part shall be at the king’s house, and a third part at the gate of the foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of YEHOWAH.
6 But let none come into the house of YEHOWAH, except the priests and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy. But all the people keep the watch of YEHOWAH.
7 And the Levites shall encompass the king round about; every man with his weapons in his hand, and whoever comes into the house, he shall put to death. But be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”
8 So the Levites and all Yehudah did according to all things that Yehoiada the priest had commanded, and every man took his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, for Yehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
9 Moreover, Yehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears and bucklers and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of Elohim.
10 And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.
11 Then they brought out the king’s son and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony and made him king. And Yehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, “Long live the king!”
12 Now when Athaliyeh heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of YEHOWAH.
13 And she looked, and behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entrance, and the princes, and the trumpets were by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and sounded with trumpets; also the singers with instruments of music, and such as were taught to sing praise. And Athaliyeh tore her clothes and said, “Treason! Treason!”
14 Then Yehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, “Bring her forth without the ranks, and whoever follows her, let them be slain with the sword.” For the priest said, “Slay her not in the house of YEHOWAH.”
15 So they laid hands on her, and when she had come to the entering of the horse gate of the king’s house, they slew her.
16 And Yehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they would be YEHOWAH’S people.
17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and broke it down, and broke his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
18 Also Yehoiada appointed the offices of the house of YEHOWAH under the hand of the priests; the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of YEHOWAH, to offer the burnt offerings of YEHOWAH, as written in the law of Moses; with rejoicing and with singing, as was ordained by David.
19 And he set the porters at the gates of the house of YEHOWAH, so none unclean in anything should enter in.
20 And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of YEHOWAH, and they came through the high gate to the king’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.
21 And all of the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet; after they had slain Athaliyeh with the sword.

CHAPTER 24

Yehash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah from Beersheba.
2 And Yehash did right in the sight of YEHOWAH all the days of Yehoiada the priest.
3 And Yehoiada took two wives for him, and he begat sons and daughters.
4 And it came to pass after this that Yehash was minded to repair the house of YEHOWAH.
5 And he gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out into the cities of Yehudah and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your Elohim – from year to year, and see that you hasten the matter.” But the Levites hastened not.
6 And the king called for Yehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why have you not required of the Levites to bring in from Yehudah and from Jerusalem the collection, as commanded by Moses the servant of YEHOWAH, and on the congregation of Israel for the tabernacle of witness?”
7 For the sons of Athaliyeh, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of Elohim; and also all the dedicated things of the house of YEHOWAH did they bestow upon Baalim.
8 And at the kings command they made a chest, and set it outside the gate of the house of YEHOWAH.
9 And they made a proclamation throughout Yehudah and Jerusalem, to bring in to YEHOWAH the collection Moses the servant of Elohim had laid upon Israel in the wilderness.
10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.
11 Now it came to pass at the time, the chest was brought in to the king’s office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it again to its place. And thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
12 And the king and Yehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of YEHOWAH, and they hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of YEHOWAH, and also such as worked with iron and brass to repair the house of YEHOWAH.
13 So the workmen labored, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of Elohim according to its measurements, and strengthened it.
14 And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Yehoiada, from which were made vessels for the house of YEHOWAH; vessels to minister, and to offer, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of YEHOWAH continually all the days of Yehoiada.
15 But Yehoiada grew old, and was full of days when he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old when he died.
16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward Elohim and to His house.
17 Now after the death of Yehoiada the princes of Yehudah came and bowed to the king, and the king listened to them.
18 And they forsook the house of YEHOWAH, Elohim of their fathers, and served groves and idols, and wrath came upon Yehudah and Jerusalem for this their sin.
19 Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto YEHOWAH, and they testified against them, but they would not hear.
20 And The Spirit of Elohim came on Zechariyeh the son of Yehoiada the priest, who stood above the people and said to them, “Thus says Elohim, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of YEHOWAH, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken YEHOWAH, He has also forsaken you.'”
21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the command of the king, in the court of the house of YEHOWAH.
22 Thus Yehash the king remembered not the kindness which Yehoiada his father had shown him, but killed his son. And when he died he said, “May YEHOWAH see and require it!”
23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him, and they came to Yehudah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them to the king of Damascus.
24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and YEHOWAH delivered a very great host into their hands, because they had forsaken YEHOWAH Elohim of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Yehash.
25 And when they had departed from him, for they left him in great disease, his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the son of Yehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. And he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the burying place of the kings.
26 And these are they who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Yehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.
27 Now his sons, and the greatness of the burdens upon him, and the repairing of the house of Elohim, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziyeh his son reigned in his stead.

CHAPTER 25

Amaziyeh was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Yehoaddan of Jerusalem.
2 And he did right in the sight of YEHOWAH, but not with a perfect heart.
3 Now it came to pass when the kingdom was established to him, that he killed his servants who had killed his father the king.
4 But he did not slay their children, but did as is written in the law in the book of Moses, which YEHOWAH commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not die for the children, nor the children die for the fathers, but each shall die for their own sin.”
5 Moreover, Amaziyeh gathered Yehudah together, and made them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Yehudah and Benyehmin; and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them to be three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield.
6 He hired also one hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver.
7 But there came a man of Elohim to him saying, “O king, let not the army of Israel go with you, for YEHOWAH is not with Israel, nor any of the children of Ephraim.
8 But if you will go, do be strong for the battle; yet Elohim will make you fall before the enemy, for Elohim has power to help and to cast down.”
9 And Amaziyeh said to the man of Elohim, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the host of Israel?” And the man of Elohim answered, “YEHOWAH is able to give you much more than this.”
10 Then Amaziyeh separated them; the army that had come to him from Ephraim, to go home again. Therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Yehudah, and they returned home in great anger.
11 And Amaziyeh strengthened himself and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt and struck ten thousand of the children of Seir.
12 And ten thousand alive did the children of Yehudah carry away captive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so they were all broken in pieces.
13 But the soldiers of the army that Amaziyeh sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Yehudah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down three thousand of them and took much spoil.
14 And it came to pass after Amaziyeh came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the elohim of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his elohim, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.
15 Therefore the anger of YEHOWAH burned against Amaziyeh, and He sent him a prophet, which said to him, “Why have you sought after the elohim of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of your hand?”
16 And it came to pass as he was talking with him, the king said to him, “Are you appointed to the king’s counsel? Cease, for why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that Elohim has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
17 Then Amaziyeh king of Yehudah took advice, and sent to Yehash the son of Yehoahaz the son of Yehu, the king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us see one another face to face.”
18 And Yehash king of Israel sent to Amaziyeh king of Yehudah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife.’ And there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon and tread down the thistle.
19 You said, ‘Behold, you have struck the Edomites,’ and your heart lifts you up to boast. Abide now at home, for why should you meddle to your harm that you should fall; you and Yehudah with you?”
20 But Amaziyeh would not listen, for it was of Elohim, that He might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the elohim of Edom.
21 So Yehash king of Israel went up, and they saw one another face to face; both he and Amaziyeh king of Yehudah, at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Yehudah.
22 And Yehudah was defeated before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.
23 And Yehash king of Israel captured Amaziyeh king of Yehudah, the son of Yehash the son of Yehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate; four hundred cubits.
24 And he took all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of Elohim with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house; the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
25 And Amaziyeh, the son of Yehash king of Yehudah, lived after the death of Yehash, son of Yehoahaz, king of Israel for fifteen years.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziyeh, from first to last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Yehudah and Israel?
27 Now after the time that Amaziyeh turned away from following YEHOWAH they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent to Lachish after him and slew him there.
28 And they brought him upon horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Yehudah.

CHAPTER 26

Then all the people of Yehudah took Uzziyeh, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the stead of his father Amaziyeh.
2 He built Eloth and restored it to Yehudah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
3 Sixteen years old was Uzziyeh when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiyeh of Jerusalem.
4 And he did right in the sight of YEHOWAH according to all that his father Amaziyeh had done.
5 And he sought Elohim in the days of Zechariyeh, who had understanding in the vision of Elohim; and as long as he sought YEHOWAH, Elohim made him to prosper.
6 And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities round about Ashdod and among the Philistines.
7 And Elohim helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims.
8 And the Ammonites also gave gifts to Uzziyeh, and his renown extended to the entrance of Egypt, for he was strengthened exceedingly.
9 Moreover, Uzziyeh built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate and at the valley gate and at the corner of the wall, and fortified them.
10 He also built towers in the desert and dug many wells, for he had much cattle, both in the low country and in the plains. He also had farmers and vine-dressers in the mountains and the fruitful fields, for he loved the earth.
11 Moreover, Uzziyeh had a host of fighting men that went out to war by companies according to their number accounted for by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiyeh the overseer; all under the direction of Hananiyeh, one of the king’s captains.
12 The total number of the chiefs of the fathers of the mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred.
13 And under their hand was an army of three hundred seven thousand five hundred, who made war with might and power, to help the king against the enemy.
14 And Uzziyeh prepared for them throughout all the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and breastplates, and bows and slings to cast stones.
15 And he made in Jerusalem engines invented by cunning men to be on the towers and on the corners to shoot arrows and great stones. And his renown spread far abroad, for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.
16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, for he sinned against YEHOWAH his Elohim, and entered the temple of YEHOWAH to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17 And Azariyeh the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of YEHOWAH; valiant men.
18 And they stood against Uzziyeh the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziyeh, to burn incense unto YEHOWAH, but for the priests; the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have transgressed, and it will not be for your honor from YEHOWAH Elohim.”
19 And Uzziyeh was angry, and with a censer in his hand to burn incense, and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy even rose up to his forehead before the priests in the house of YEHOWAH, from beside the incense altar.
20 And Azariyeh the chief priest, and all the priests, looked at him, and behold, he was leprous to his forehead; and they thrust him out from there, and he himself also hastened to get out, because YEHOWAH had smitten him.
21 And Uzziyeh the king was a leper to the day of his death, and he dwelt in a hospital house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of YEHOWAH. And Yehtham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziyeh, first to last, did Isaiyeh the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
23 So Uzziyeh slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burying place that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Yehtham his son reigned in his stead.

CHAPTER 27

Yehtham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.
2 And he did right in the sight of YEHOWAH, according to all that his father Uzziyeh had done. However, he entered not into the temple of YEHOWAH. Yet the people did corruptly.
3 He built the high gate of the house of YEHOWAH, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
4 Moreover, he built cities in the mountains of Yehudah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.
5 He fought also with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. And just so much did the children of Ammon pay him, both the second year, and the third.
6 So Yehtham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before YEHOWAH his Elohim.
7 Now the rest of the acts of Yehtham, and all his wars, and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Yehudah.
8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.
9 And Yehtham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

CHAPTER 28

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. But he did not what was right in the sight of YEHOWAH like David his father.
2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molten images for Baalim.
3 Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom YEHOWAH had cast out before the children of Israel.
4 He sacrificed also, and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills and under every green tree.
5 Therefore, YEHOWAH his Elohim delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they struck him and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter.
6 For Pekah the son of Remaliyeh slew in Yehudah one hundred twenty thousand in one day; all were valiant men; because they had forsaken YEHOWAH Elohim of their fathers.
7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiyeh the king’s son and Azrikam the governor of the house and Elkanah that was next to the king.
8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
9 But a prophet of YEHOWAH was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out before the host that came to Samaria and said unto them, “Behold, because YEHOWAH Elohim of your fathers, was angry with Yehudah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.
10 And now you propose to keep the children of Yehudah and Jerusalem for yourself as bondmen and bondwomen; but are there not even with you, sins against YEHOWAH your Elohim?
11 Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which you have taken of your brethren, for the fierce anger of YEHOWAH is upon you.”
12 Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariyeh the son of Yehohanan, Berekiyeh the son of Meshillemoth, Yekizkiyeh the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, rose up against those that came from the war,
13 and said to them, “You must not bring in the captives here, for we have sinned against YEHOWAH, and you are adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great, and fierce is His wrath against Israel.”
14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the officers and the congregation,
15 and the men who were appointed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil, they clothed all that were naked among them, and gave them shoes, and gave them to eat and drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren; then they returned to Samaria.
16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him,
17 for again the Edomites had come and struck Yehudah and carried away captives.
18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the south of Yehudah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Shoco with its villages, and Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo also with its villages, and they dwelt there.
19 For YEHOWAH brought Yehudah low, because Ahaz king of Israel made Yehudah fall away, and they transgressed grievously against YEHOWAH.
20 And Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came against him and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
21 For Ahaz took away a portion from the house of YEHOWAH, and from the house of the king, and from the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria, but he helped him not.
22 And in the time of his distress, this King Ahaz yet trespassed more against YEHOWAH,
23 for he sacrificed unto the elohim of Damascus, which struck him. And he said, “Because the elohim of the kings of Syria help them, therefore I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of Elohim, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of Elohim, and he shut up the doors of the house of YEHOWAH, and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem.
25 And in every city of Yehudah he made high places to burn incense to other elohim, and provoked to anger YEHOWAH Elohim of his fathers.
26 Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Yehudah and Israel.
27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but they brought him not into the burying place of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiyeh his son reigned in his place.

CHAPTER 29

Hezekiyeh began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abiyeh, the daughter of Zechariyeh.
2 And he did right in the sight of YEHOWAH, according to all that David his father had done.
3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of YEHOWAH and repaired them.
4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them together into the east street.
5 And he said to them, “Hear me, O Levites. Sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of YEHOWAH Elohim of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done evil in the eyes of YEHOWAH our Elohim, and have forsaken Him, and turned their faces away from the habitation of YEHOWAH, and turned their backs.
7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense, nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the Elohim of Israel.
8 Therefore the wrath of YEHOWAH was upon Yehudah and Jerusalem, and He has delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as you see with your eyes.
9 For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.
11 My sons, be not now negligent, for YEHOWAH has chosen you to stand before Him; to serve Him, and that you should minister unto Him and burn incense.”
12 Then the Levites rose up: Mahath, the son of Amasai and Yehel the son of Azariyeh, from the sons of the Kohathites; and from the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariyeh the son of Jehallelel; and from the Gershonites, Yehach the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Yehach;
13 and from the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; and from the sons of Asaph, Zechariyeh and Mattaniyeh;
14 and from the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and from the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiyeh and Uzziel.
15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of YEHOWAH, to cleanse the house of YEHOWAH.
16 And the priests went in to the inner part of the house of YEHOWAH, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of YEHOWAH into the court of the house of YEHOWAH. And the Levites took to carry it out to the valley of Kidron.
17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the porch of YEHOWAH. So they sanctified the house of YEHOWAH in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.
18 Then they went in to Hezekiyeh the king and said, “We have cleansed all the house of YEHOWAH, and the altar of burnt offering with all the vessels thereof, and the showbread table, with all the vessels thereof.
19 Moreover, all the vessels, which King Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and behold, they are before the altar of YEHOWAH.”
20 Then Hezekiyeh the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of YEHOWAH.
21 And they brought seven bulls, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Yehudah. And he commanded the priests; the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of YEHOWAH.
22 So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar. Likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar. They killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.
23 And they brought the male goats of the sin offering before the king and the congregation, and they laid their hands upon them,
24 and the priests killed them and made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar; to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.
25 And he set the Levites in the house of YEHOWAH with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for so was the commandment from YEHOWAH by His prophets.
26 And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 And Hezekiyeh commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of YEHOWAH also began with the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David, king of Israel.
28 And the entire congregation worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
29 And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.
30 Moreover Hezekiyeh the king, and the princes, commanded the Levites to sing praise unto YEHOWAH with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
31 Then Hezekiyeh cried out and said, “Now you have consecrated yourselves unto YEHOWAH, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of YEHOWAH.” And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a free heart, burnt offerings.
32 And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering unto YEHOWAH.
33 And the consecrated things were six hundred cows and three thousand sheep.
34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites did help them until the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves. For the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
35 And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of YEHOWAH was set in order.
36 And Hezekiyeh rejoiced, and all the people; that Elohim had prepared for the people, for the thing was done suddenly.

CHAPTER 30

And Hezekiyeh sent to all Israel and Yehudah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of YEHOWAH at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover unto YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel.
2 For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month,
3 for they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, nor had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
4 And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.
5 So they established a decree to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even unto Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover unto YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel at Jerusalem; for they had not done it in a long time as it was written.
6 So the runners went with letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Yehudah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, “You children of Israel, turn again unto YEHOWAH Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and He will return to the remnant of you that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7 And be not be like your fathers, and like your brethren, who trespassed against YEHOWAH Elohim of their fathers, Who therefore gave them up to desolation, as you see.
8 Now be not stiff-necked, as your fathers, but yield yourselves unto YEHOWAH, and enter into His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve YEHOWAH your Elohim, so that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.
9 For if you turn again unto YEHOWAH, your brethren and your children will find compassion before them that led them captive, so that they shall come again into this land. For YEHOWAH your Elohim is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him.”
10 So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.
11 Nevertheless some of Asher, and Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12 Also in Yehudah the hand of Elohim was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of YEHOWAH.
13 And there assembled at Jerusalem many people to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month; a very great congregation.
14 And they rose up and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem; and all the altars for incense they took away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
15 Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth of the second month, and the priests and Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of YEHOWAH.
16 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the Law of Moses the man of Elohim. The priests sprinkled the blood, which they received from the hand of the Levites.
17 For many in the congregation were not sanctified. Therefore, the Levites had the charge of killing the Passover for every one not clean; to sanctify them unto YEHOWAH.
18 For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they did eat the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiyeh prayed for them, saying, “The Good YEHOWAH pardon every one
19 that prepares their heart to seek Elohim, YEHOWAH Elohim of their fathers; though not according to the purification of the sanctuary.”
20 And YEHOWAH heard Hezekiyeh and healed the people.
21 And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised YEHOWAH day after day with loud instruments unto YEHOWAH.
22 And Hezekiyeh spoke consolingly unto all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of YEHOWAH. And they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to YEHOWAH Elohim of their fathers.
23 And the whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept the seven days with gladness,
24 for Hezekiyeh king of Yehudah did give to the congregation one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the princes gave to the congregation one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.
25 And all the congregation of Yehudah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Yehudah, rejoiced.
26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem. For since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel, there was nothing like it in Jerusalem.
27 Then the priests and the Levites rose up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place; even unto heaven.

CHAPTER 31

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Yehudah, and broke the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Yehudah, Benyehmin, Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned every one to their possession, into their own cities.
2 And Hezekiyeh appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses; every man according to his service; the priests and the Levites for burnt offerings, and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of YEHOWAH.
3 He also appointed the king’s portion of his substance for the burnt offerings: For the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of YEHOWAH.
4 Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the Law of YEHOWAH.
5 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things they brought in abundantly.
6 And the children of Israel and Yehudah that dwelt in the cities of Yehudah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things, which were consecrated unto YEHOWAH their Elohim; and laid them in heaps.
7 In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
8 And when Hezekiyeh and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed YEHOWAH and His people Israel.
9 Then Hezekiyeh questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps,
10 and Azariyeh the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, saying, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of YEHOWAH, we have had enough to eat, and have plenty left over, for YEHOWAH has blessed His people, and that which is left is this great quantity.”
11 Then Hezekiyeh commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of YEHOWAH, and they prepared them,
12 and brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully; over which Conaniyeh the Levite was in charge and Shimei his brother was next.
13 And Jehiel, Azaziyeh, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiyeh, Mahath and Benaiyeh were overseers under the hand of Conaniyeh and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiyeh the king; and Azariyeh was the chief of the house of Elohim.
14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter of the east gate, was over the freewill offerings of Elohim, to distribute the gifts of YEHOWAH, and the most holy things.
15 And next to him were Eden, Miniamin, Yehoshuah, Shemaiyeh, Amariyeh and Shecaniyeh in the cities of the priests, in set office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well as to the great and to the small;
16 beside their genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, unto everyone that enters into the house of YEHOWAH, his daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses;
17 both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty years old and upwards, by their charges, by their courses;
18 and to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, their sons and their daughters, through all the congregation. For in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness.
19 Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, or in every city, the men who were appointed by name to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.
20 And thus did Hezekiyeh throughout all Yehudah, and brought that which was good and right and true before YEHOWAH his Elohim.
21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of Elohim, and in the law, and in the commandment, to seek his Elohim, he did with all his heart; and prospered.

CHAPTER 32

After these things, and the establishment of it all, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered into Yehudah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.
2 And when Hezekiyeh saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
3 he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains, which were outside the city; and they did help him.
4 So there were gathered together many people, who stopped all the fountains and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?”
5 And he strengthened himself and built up the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall outside, and repaired the Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate, and spoke consolingly to them, saying,
7 “Be strong and courageous; be not afraid nor dismayed for king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude with him, for there is more with us than with him.
8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is YEHOWAH our Elohim, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiyeh king of Yehudah.
9 After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he against Lachish, and all his power with him), against Hezekiyeh king of Yehudah and unto all Yehudah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
10 “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘Upon what do you trust, that you abide in Jerusalem under siege?
11 Does not Hezekiyeh persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, “YEHOWAH our Elohim will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria”?
12 Has not the same Hezekiyeh taken away His high places and His altars, and commanded Yehudah and Jerusalem saying, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn incense”?
13 Know you not what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the elohim of the nations of those lands able to deliver their lands out of my hand?
14 Who was there among all the elohim of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your Elohim should be able to deliver you from my hand?
15 Now therefore, let not Hezekiyeh deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither believe him, for no eloah of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand, or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your Elohim deliver you out of my hand?'”
16 And his servants spoke more against YEHOWAH Elohim, and against His servant Hezekiyeh.
17 He also wrote letters to blaspheme YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the elohim of the nations of the lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so shall not the Elohim of Hezekiyeh deliver His people out of my hand.”
18 Then they called this out with a loud voice in the language of Yehudah, to the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall; to frighten and trouble them, so that they might take the city.
19 And they spoke against the Elohim of Jerusalem, as against the elohim of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.
20 And for this cause Hezekiyeh the king and the prophet Isaiyeh, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
21 And YEHOWAH sent an angel, who cut down all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land, and when he had come into the house of his elohim, his children killed him there with the sword.
22 Thus YEHOWAH saved Hezekiyeh and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all, and guided them on every side.
23 And many brought gifts unto YEHOWAH to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiyah king of Yehudah, so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thereon.
24 In those days Hezekiyeh was sick to death, and prayed to YEHOWAH, and YEHOWAH spoke to him and gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiyeh rendered not again according to the benefit given him, because his heart was lifted up, therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Yehudah and Jerusalem.
26 But Hezekiyeh humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of YEHOWAH came not upon them in the days of Hezekiyeh.
27 And Hezekiyeh had exceeding much riches and honor, and he made for himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields and for all manner of precious jewels;
28 storehouses also for the increase of grain, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and pens for flocks.
29 Moreover he provided for himself cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance, for Elohim had given him very much substance.
30 This same Hezekiyeh also stopped the upper water course of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiyeh prospered in all his works.
31 In like manner, even with the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, Elohim left him, to try him; that He might know all that was in his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiyeh, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiyeh the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Yehudah and Israel.
33 And Hezekiyeh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the best of the burying places of the sons of David. And all Yehudah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

CHAPTER 33

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
2 But did evil in the sight of YEHOWAH, like unto the abominations of the nations whom YEHOWAH had cast out before the children of Israel.
3 For he built again the high places, which Hezekiyeh his father had broken down, and he built again altars for the Baalim and made groves, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them.
4 He also built altars in the house of YEHOWAH, of which YEHOWAH had said, “In Jerusalem shall My Name be forever.”
5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of YEHOWAH.
6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and wizards. And he did much evil in the sight of YEHOWAH, to provoke Him to anger.
7 And he set a carved image; an idol which he had made, in the house of Elohim, of which Elohim had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, I will put My Name forever;
8 neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.”
9 So Manasseh made Yehudah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray, and to do worse than the nations whom YEHOWAH destroyed before the children of Israel.
10 And YEHOWAH spoke to Manasseh, and to his people, but they would nor hear.
11 Therefore YEHOWAH brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
12 And when he was in affliction, he sought for YEHOWAH his Elohim, and humbled himself greatly before the Elohim of his fathers.
13 And prayed unto Him, and He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that YEHOWAH was Elohim.
14 Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the fish gate. And he came round about with it to Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Yehudah.
15 And he took away the strange elohim, and the idol out of the house of YEHOWAH, and all the altars that he had built on the mount of the house of YEHOWAH, and in Jerusalem, and he cast them outside the city.
16 And he repaired the altar of YEHOWAH, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Yehudah to serve YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel.
17 Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, although only unto YEHOWAH their Elohim.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his Elohim, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the Name of YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.
19 His prayer also, and how Elohim was entreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the locations wherein he built high places and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled, behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.
20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son reigned in his stead.
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22 But he did evil in the sight of YEHOWAH, as did Manasseh his father, and Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and he served them,
23 and humbled not himself before YEHOWAH, as Manasseh his father had done, but Amon trespassed more and more.
24 And his servants conspired against him and slew him in his own house.
25 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiyeh his son king in his place.

CHAPTER 34

Josiyeh was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
2 And he did right in the sight of YEHOWAH, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right or to the left.
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the Elohim of David his father. And in the twelfth year he began to purge Yehudah and Jerusalem of the high places, and the groves, and the carved images and the molten images.
4 And they broke down the altars of Baalim in his presence, and the images that were on the high places above them he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed unto them.
5 And he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Yehudah and Jerusalem.
6 And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon; even unto Naphtali, in their ruins round about.
7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliyeh, and Maaseiyeh the governor of the city, and Yehach the son of Yehachaz the recorder, to repair the house of YEHOWAH his Elohim.
9 And when they came to Hilkiyeh the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of Elohim, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Yehudah and Benyehmin, and they returned it to Jerusalem.
10 And they put it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of YEHOWAH, and the workmen who were working in the house of YEHOWAH used it to repair and restore the house.
11 Even to the craftsmen and to the builders they gave, to buy hewn stone and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses, which the kings of Yehudah had destroyed.
12 And the men did the work faithfully, and the overseers of them were: Jahath and Obadiyeh, the Levites of the sons of Merari; Zechariyeh and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites and the Levites; all also skillful with musical instruments.
13 Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and overseers of all that did the work in any manner of service. And some of the Levites were scribes and officers and porters.
14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of YEHOWAH, Hilkiyeh the priest found the book of the law of YEHOWAH given by Moses.
15 And Hilkiyeh announced to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of YEHOWAH.” And Hilkiyeh gave the book to Shaphan.
16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king and brought the king word back again, saying, “All that was committed to your servants, they are doing.
17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of YEHOWAH, and have delivered it into the hands of the overseers, and to the hands of the workmen.”
18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiyeh the priest gave me a book,” and Shaphan read it before the king.
19 And it came to pass when the king heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes.
20 And the king commanded Hilkiyeh, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Mikayeh, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiyeh a servant of the king, saying,
21 “Go, inquire of YEHOWAH for me, and for those that remain in Israel and in Yehudah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of YEHOWAH that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of YEHOWAH, to do after all that is written in this book.”
22 And Hilkiyeh, and those whom the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second city), and they spoke to her regarding this.
23 And she answered them, “Thus says YEHOWAH, Elohim of Israel, ‘Tell the man that sent you to Me,
24 thus says YEHOWAH, “Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon its inhabitants; even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Yehudah,
25 because they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other elohim, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched.”
26 As for the king of Yehudah who sent you to inquire of YEHOWAH, so shall you say unto him, “Thus says YEHOWAH Elohim of Israel concerning the words which you have heard,
27 Because your heart was tender, and you did humble yourself before Elohim when you heard His words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbled yourself before Me, and did tear your clothes, and did weep before Me, I have even heard you also,’ declares YEHOWAH.
28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; neither shall your eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon its inhabitants.”‘” And so they brought back word to the king.
29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Yehudah and Jerusalem,
30 and the king went up to the house of YEHOWAH, and all the men of Yehudah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small, and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of YEHOWAH.
31 And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before YEHOWAH, to walk after YEHOWAH, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul; to perform the words of the covenant written in this book.
32 And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benyehmin to stand. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of Elohim; the Elohim of their fathers.
33 And Josiyeh took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve; even to serve YEHOWAH their Elohim. And all his days they departed not from following YEHOWAH, Elohim of their fathers.

CHAPTER 35

Moreover Josiyeh kept a Passover unto YEHOWAH in Jerusalem, and they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
2 And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of YEHOWAH.
3 And said to the Levites, who taught all Israel, which were holy unto YEHOWAH, “Put the Holy Ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it will be a burden on your shoulders. Serve YEHOWAH your Elohim and His people Israel.
4 And prepare by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.
5 And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of your fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.
6 And kill the Passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren that they may do according to the word of YEHOWAH by the hand of Moses.”
7 And Josiyeh gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the Passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, plus three thousand bulls. These were from the king’s substance.
8 And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests and the Levites. Hilkiyeh and Zechariyeh and Jehiel, rulers of the house of Elohim, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred, and three hundred bulls.
9 Conaniyeh also, and Shemaiyeh and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiyeh and Jeiel and Yehozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for the Passover offerings five thousand, and five hundred bulls.
10 So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their courses, according to the king’s commandment.
11 And they killed the Passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites skinned them.
12 And they removed the burnt offerings, so that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto YEHOWAH, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls.
13 And they roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance, but the holy offerings they boiled in pots, and in cauldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.
14 And afterward they made ready for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.
15 And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the commandment of David; and Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the porters at every gate, that they might not depart from their service; and their brethren the Levites prepared for them.
16 So all the service of YEHOWAH was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of YEHOWAH, according to the commandment of King Josiyeh.
17 And the children of Israel that were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days.
18 And there was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiyeh kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Yehudah, and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiyeh this Passover was kept.
20 After all this, when Josiyeh had prepared the temple, Nechoh king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiyeh went out against him.
21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, O King of Yehudah? I come not against you this day but against the house with which I have war. For Elohim has commanded me to make haste. Stop yourself from meddling with Elohim Who is with me, so that He will not destroy you.”
22 Nevertheless, Josiyeh would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him; and listened not to the words of Nechoh from the mouth of Elohim, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
23 The archers shot King Josiyeh, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.”
24 His servants therefore, took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in the burying place of his fathers. And all Yehudah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiyeh.
25 And Jeremiyeh chanted a lament for Josiyeh. And all the singing men and women speak of Josiyeh in their lamentations to this day; and made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are also written in the Lamentations.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiyeh, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of YEHOWAH,
27 and his deeds, first to last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Yehudah.

CHAPTER 36

Then the people of the land took Yehoahaz the son of Josiyeh, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem.
2 Yehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold.
4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Yehudah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Yehoiakim. And Nechoh took Yehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt.
5 Yehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of YEHOWAH his Elohim.
6 Against him came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried off the vessels of the house of YEHOWAH to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Yehoiakim, and the abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Yehudah. And Yehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
9 Yehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of YEHOWAH.
10 And when the year expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon with the goodly vessels of the house of YEHOWAH, and he made his brother Zedekiyeh king over Yehudah and Jerusalem.
11 Zedekiyeh was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 And he did evil in the sight of YEHOWAH his Elohim, and humbled not himself before Jeremiyeh the prophet, speaking from the mouth of YEHOWAH.
13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by Elohim, but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning to YEHOWAH, Elohim of Israel.
14 Moreover, all the chiefs of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much, after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of YEHOWAH, which He had hallowed in Jerusalem.
15 And YEHOWAH, the Elohim of their fathers, sent to them by His messengers from morning to night, because He had compassion on His people, and on His dwelling place,
16 but they mocked the messengers of Elohim, despised His words, and mistreated His prophets until the wrath of YEHOWAH rose up against His people; until there was no remedy.
17 Therefore He brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, the elderly, or them that stooped for age; He gave all into his hand.
18 And all the vessels of the house of Elohim, great and small, and the treasures of the house of YEHOWAH, and the treasures of the king and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.
19 And they burned the house of Elohim, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels.
20 And those that had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia,
21 to fulfill the word of YEHOWAH by the mouth of Jeremiyeh, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. For as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of YEHOWAH by the mouth of Jeremiyeh might be accomplished, YEHOWAH stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘All the kingdoms of the earth has YEHOWAH, Elohim of heaven, given me, and He has charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Yehudah. Whoever is there among you of all His people, YEHOWAH Elohim be with you, and let them go up!'”